Patient compliance during conservative treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis – literature review and the experience of a tertiary Institution multidisciplinary team

Abstract

Conservative treatment of scoliosis includes orthotics and physical therapy. Efficacy of orthotic treatment has been validated over time through a great number of scientific papers, and today it represents the golden standard in the conservative treatment of scoliosis. Patient compliance is key in this type of treatment, as it is only effective during growth. Scoliosis is most often seen in adolescents, which is a turbulent period in every young life, and as such poses a number of aggravating factors for this type of treatment. It is of the utmost importance to understand the psychosocial aspects of this illness and treatment, as well as the dynamics of the patient and his/her family. Improving compliance is important for the course and outcome of treatment, and requires structured psychological support. Patients who receive psychological support during treatment are better equipped to go through the treatment and score higher on the quality of life questionnaires than the ones without the stated support.